A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Monday,
January 4,
2021
Strasburg
Railroad Steam Engine 90
(Click to
enlarge)
"Stirring Up
The Flame Of God"
Message summary: As we begin a
new year it's a good time to examine ourselves. In the course of life the spiritual fire
in our life can burn down a bit or at times a
lot. We must continually be mindful of this
and keep fanning into flame and stirring up the gift
of God.
Listen
to this message on your audio player."For
this reason I remind you to fan into flame the
gift of God, which is in you through the laying on
of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not
make us timid, but gives us power, love and
self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:6-7). "Never be
lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,
serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11).
Yesterday
after our church service we visited with our friends
in
the old farmhouse. After playing several games of
table tennis I took a look at the coal stove used to
heat their house. Being a rather chilly day it was
plenty warm inside (more so after playing some
vigorous ping pong matches with teen-agers) though
it was capable of putting out more heat depending on
how much air was provided to the fire. The
coal is Pennsylvania anthracite coal, the same type
we use in our coal stove. It's considered hard coal
and has a very high carbon content allowing it to
burn very hot and clean compared to soft coal known
as bituminous.
Looking in at the blazing coals brought to mind a Scripture verse that I committed to memory early in my Christian walk; "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God". In fact one of the very first sermons I ever preached was based on this passage, I suppose in part due to the phrase, "fan into flame".
Anyone
who has prepared a campfire for warming or cooking
is fully aware that the fire needs to be stirred up
occasionally. As long as the coals are glowing, they
can be stirred up into a full blaze. In fanning the flame, it increases the oxygen and
feeds the embers which then turns it into a blazing
fire. When Brooksyne and I camped in our early years
of marriage this is one of my first responsibilities
each morning.
The
key Greek word which is translated "fan into flame"
is "anazopuro", which is in the present active
indicating a continuing action. The sense is to stir
up smoldering embers into a living flame. Other
Bible versions vary slightly in the way they
translate this word. The NASV states, "kindle
afresh", the Amplified uses the phrase, "stir up
(rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of,)" while
the KJV merely states "stir up", which reminds me of
when I would take a long stick and stir up the fire
early the next morning! Clarence Jordon translates
this verse, "I’m reminding you to shake the ashes
off the God-given fire that’s in you."
John Wesley says this verb is "Literally, blowing up the coals into a flame".
General
Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, wrote, "The
tendency of fire is to go out; watch the fire on
the altar of your heart."
Warren
Wiersbe, one of our favorite Bible teachers, who is
now with the Lord, writes that, "Timothy did not
need any new spiritual ingredients in his life; all
he had to do was "stir up" what he already had. Paul
had written in his first letter, “Neglect not the
gift that is in thee” (1 Timothy 4:14). Now he
added, "Stir up—stir into flame—the gift of God".
Paul is urging Timothy to practice a necessary spiritual discipline vitally needed for all who follow Christ. In the course of life the fire can burn down a bit or at times a lot. We need to continually be mindful of this and keep fanning into flame and stirring up the gift of God.
Paul is urging Timothy to practice a necessary spiritual discipline vitally needed for all who follow Christ. In the course of life the fire can burn down a bit or at times a lot. We need to continually be mindful of this and keep fanning into flame and stirring up the gift of God.
Keith
Green makes this petition in his song, "Oh Lord,
You're Beautiful":
Today as we begin the first day of the work week of a new year Brooksyne and I want to serve the Lord with renewed zeal and keep the fire burning within our hearts so that we are continually on fire for Christ. We are fully aware of how the fire can wane so we ask God's help that we would "never be lacking in zeal, keeping our spiritual fervor, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11). We urge each reader to do the same!
Oh
Lord please light the fire,
that once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love,
that burned with holy fear.
that once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love,
that burned with holy fear.
Today as we begin the first day of the work week of a new year Brooksyne and I want to serve the Lord with renewed zeal and keep the fire burning within our hearts so that we are continually on fire for Christ. We are fully aware of how the fire can wane so we ask God's help that we would "never be lacking in zeal, keeping our spiritual fervor, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11). We urge each reader to do the same!
Be
encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, I consider the depth of one's
faith and how far-reaching it is when fleshed out in
one's life. Timothy's sincere faith was due in great
part to the influence of a godly grandmother and
equally devoted mother. As we stay in communion with
You through prayer and obedience to Your Holy Word
we ask You to keep the flame of spiritual fire
burning within our hearts. It is not just compliance
to Your Word, but also fervency in our spirit that
will convince others of their need to walk in Your
ways so we want to never be lacking in zeal but
keeping our spiritual fervor as we serve You all our
days. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.Additional
study notes:
The Precept Austin Online commentary states, "Christians in America live in discouraging times when many in the so-called "church" have chosen to compromise truth for the sake of "unity", watering down the message of the Cross so as to make it less offensive and more seeker friendly. And although we are not (yet) being physically persecuted for our faith in America, we do see Biblical Christianity being attacked on virtually every front."
The Precept Austin Online commentary states, "Christians in America live in discouraging times when many in the so-called "church" have chosen to compromise truth for the sake of "unity", watering down the message of the Cross so as to make it less offensive and more seeker friendly. And although we are not (yet) being physically persecuted for our faith in America, we do see Biblical Christianity being attacked on virtually every front."
The
challenge for all is to keep the embers of our heart
stoked to full blaze, so that we might be ready and
able to resist the pressure to compromise truth and
ready and willing to persevere to the end enduring
hardship for the sake of the gospel, lest future
generations be denied vital sound doctrine found
only in the "Word of Truth". Every saint's prayer
should be "Lord, find us faithful."
The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to build the fire of faith in our hearts. On the day Jesus rose from the dead He walked on the road to Emmaus with two disciples. After their eyes were "opened" they recognized who Jesus was and then He disappeared. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32). A roaring fire emblazoned their hearts when they understood what Jesus taught them in the Scriptures.
The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to build the fire of faith in our hearts. On the day Jesus rose from the dead He walked on the road to Emmaus with two disciples. After their eyes were "opened" they recognized who Jesus was and then He disappeared. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32). A roaring fire emblazoned their hearts when they understood what Jesus taught them in the Scriptures.
Vance
Havner notes four things that can smother the fire:
1. Willful sin will do it. Our Lord told us that the candle of testimony may be smothered by the bushel or the bed. The bushel stands for money making, the cares of business, the temporal concerns of this fife. The bed stands for luxury, ease, worldly pleasure, the sloth that so enervates the soul.
2. Neglect will smother the fire. Leave the fire alone and it will burn low and the ashes will gather. If we neglect the means of grace, prayer, the Word, and holy exercise, we shall soon need a stirring.
3. Then, too, others can quench the Spirit and smother our fire. If [the Christian] allows it, men will tone him down, steal the joy of his salvation, and reduce him to the dreary level of the general average. If the devil cannot keep us from being saved, he next endeavors to make average Christians of us, and in this he usually succeeds… The devil does not mind our joining church if we behave like most of those who are already inside. But when a real, wide awake Christian breezes along, taking the Gospel seriously, the devil grows alarmed and begins plotting his downfall.
4. Certainly, fear can choke the fire. Paul says to Timothy in the very word next to the passage we are considering, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind." The man who hid his talent said, "I was afraid." The fires that fear has smothered: fear of the past or present or future, fear of others, of failure, of sickness, of death! Whatever fear you may have, it is not of God, for He hath not given us such a spirit.
Let us remember that stirring up the gift of God is our business. God will not do it for us. We must rouse ourselves from our lethargy and get down to business in prayer and feeding upon the Word and holy exercise.
It is related that in Scotland years ago, before the day of matches, the fires had gone out throughout a community. The people set out looking for someone who had a fire. At last, far up on a hillside, they found a humble home where the hearthstone glowed with cheery flame. Soon they were carrying coals here and there to replenish their own blackened fireplaces. Today there are weary hearts, discouraged souls, needy churches looking for a soul with a fire, someone who has kept aglow in spite of the world, the flesh and the devil.
1. Willful sin will do it. Our Lord told us that the candle of testimony may be smothered by the bushel or the bed. The bushel stands for money making, the cares of business, the temporal concerns of this fife. The bed stands for luxury, ease, worldly pleasure, the sloth that so enervates the soul.
2. Neglect will smother the fire. Leave the fire alone and it will burn low and the ashes will gather. If we neglect the means of grace, prayer, the Word, and holy exercise, we shall soon need a stirring.
3. Then, too, others can quench the Spirit and smother our fire. If [the Christian] allows it, men will tone him down, steal the joy of his salvation, and reduce him to the dreary level of the general average. If the devil cannot keep us from being saved, he next endeavors to make average Christians of us, and in this he usually succeeds… The devil does not mind our joining church if we behave like most of those who are already inside. But when a real, wide awake Christian breezes along, taking the Gospel seriously, the devil grows alarmed and begins plotting his downfall.
4. Certainly, fear can choke the fire. Paul says to Timothy in the very word next to the passage we are considering, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind." The man who hid his talent said, "I was afraid." The fires that fear has smothered: fear of the past or present or future, fear of others, of failure, of sickness, of death! Whatever fear you may have, it is not of God, for He hath not given us such a spirit.
Let us remember that stirring up the gift of God is our business. God will not do it for us. We must rouse ourselves from our lethargy and get down to business in prayer and feeding upon the Word and holy exercise.
It is related that in Scotland years ago, before the day of matches, the fires had gone out throughout a community. The people set out looking for someone who had a fire. At last, far up on a hillside, they found a humble home where the hearthstone glowed with cheery flame. Soon they were carrying coals here and there to replenish their own blackened fireplaces. Today there are weary hearts, discouraged souls, needy churches looking for a soul with a fire, someone who has kept aglow in spite of the world, the flesh and the devil.
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"Oh
Lord, You're Beautiful" Video
Keith Green
"Pass
It On - It Only Takes A Spark"
Video
Eternity
Brooksyne's
note: Yesterday, after church, we
headed to Strasburg to visit with our
friends as mentioned in our message. Just
as we prepared to turn into their long
driveway we saw a plume of smoke off in
the distance and instead drove about 1/4
mile further to watch the Strasburg
Railroad train go by. Ester and Stephen
jumped out of the car and headed in two
directions. While Stephen took a still
shot of the approaching train Ester
was taking a video! The steam,
whistle, and waving engineer can all be
heard or seen.
Ester was showing the children on her
phone after our arrival and they asked
"How many train cars?" She ran the video
again to find out, and it was delightful
to hear the children count them one by one
in unison including the three year old,
reminding us of our younger years (and
even now on occasion) when we counted the
train cars anticipating
the last car of a moving freight train,
when we were sure to be greeted with a
wave from the friendly brakeman. For
nostalgia sake you might want to check out
this site regarding "Whatever happened to
the little red caboose?"
BTW:
Stephen mentioned that he played three
teens in Ping Pong and they were looking
forward to beating their aging competitor.
But when the 13 year old climbed up the
stairs, looking winded and a little red in
the face I asked, "So did you beat
Stephen?" He slowly nodded his head. Anna
Ruth, asked "How about the others, did
they beat him?" Once again he nodded with
disappointment. I didn't say it, but I was
pretty proud that Stephen has it in him to
still compete against young people and
come out a winner. The secret: he puts a
mean spin on the ball and usually beats me
the same way.
Finally today:
Finally today:
Do
you remember wondering as a child why
blowing on a candle puts the fire out but
blowing on a campfire makes the fire blaze?
Send
a message to Stephen
& Brooksyne
To receive the
"Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday
through email see this
page to subscribe to our email list. You can also
subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or
through a Wordpress email subscription.
(See the email subscription on the right side
after opening this page)
Permissions:
Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and
distribute any material on Daily Encouragement
Net, in part or in whole, in any format,
provided that you do not alter the wording in
any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of
reproduction. It is our desire to spread this
material, not protect or restrict it. We do
request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription
information intact.
We want to thank all who financially
support our ministry. We
realize there are many fine ministries and
causes requesting support but if the Lord
would lead you we surely need and appreciate
the financial support from our readers and
listeners. Our
ministry labor is comprised of approximately
half our time to Daily Encouragement and the
other half to our chaplaincy ministry to
companies for which we receive compensation.
Each of these ministries essentially is the
same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for
each of us. Our goal for many years is that
each would provide half of our ministry
expenses and income.
If you would consider making a donation to our ministry see here for more information.
To donate directly online here. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: WEBER,STEPHEN CHAP, Specialized Chaplaincy Ministry ID: 700001-237376
If you would consider making a donation to our ministry see here for more information.
To donate directly online here. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: WEBER,STEPHEN CHAP, Specialized Chaplaincy Ministry ID: 700001-237376
Please Note: We
also provide this easy option due to the
convenience, for international supporters,
and for those who may not be concerned
regarding receiving an official tax
deductible receipt. Click here to
send an offering using PayPal. This
will open to a page that states "Brooksyne
Weber".Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2021 Stephen C. & Brooksyne
Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA